A new worldwide advertising campaign by the UNHATE Foundation is causing quite a stir on the Internet. The Italian apparel company, Benetton Group, sponsors the foundation and its efforts to spread a message of tolerance to the world. The recent campaign features digitally altered photos of world leaders sharing a kiss on the lips, which according to the organization’s website is a universal symbol of love. Some of these featured leaders include U.S. president Barack Obama and Chinese leader Hu Jintao, Pope Benedict XVI and Ahmed Mohamed el-Tayeb, and Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas and the Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Oneal Ron Morris, a transgendered Florida woman, was arrested on Friday for allegedly practicing medicine without a license. Morris is accused of injecting a woman’s buttocks with a concoction of cement, ‘Fix a Flat’ tire sealant, mineral oil, and super glue. The patient suffered complications from the procedure, and was later hospitalized allegedly for pneumonia and MRSA. Unfortunately this incident is not the first of its kind, and many women across the world are seeking out cosmetic surgery with hopes to increase the size of their derriere.

In an attempt to defend presidential hopeful Herman Cain from allegations of sexual harassment, correspondent Ann Coulter proclaimed to viewing audiences that “our blacks are so much better than their blacks.” The comment made on The Sean Hannity Show was in reference to conservative African Americans being better than liberal African Americans. Coulter’s statement not only raised eyebrows, but offended many members of the African American community.

The mother of America’s favorite socialite Kim Kardashian has angered many folks with her recent use of the derogatory phrase ‘Indian giver.’ Kris Jenner appeared on Good Morning America last week to discuss the release of her new book and the recent news of her daughter’s premature divorce. When GMA host Lara Spencer asked Jenner if her daughter would be returning the $2 million wedding ring, Jenner responded “Well, I hate an Indian giver. Don’t you? I mean it’s a gift, so you know–keep your gift.”

An Ohio University student organization launched a poster campaign last week to raise awareness around offensive Halloween costumes. The group, Students Teaching About Racism in Society (STARS), received national attention when they released five posters with students holding photographs of people dressed in culturally-offensive costumes. The tagline of the campaign reads, “We’re a culture, not a costume.”

Jamaican dancehall artist Vybz Kartel has angered folks with the recent news that he will release a line of cosmetic products that include skin brightening creams. The products, targeted towards men, have outraged audiences who believe that it promotes self-hatred. Kartel is no stranger to this conversation. The artist fought against criticism earlier this year when it was revealed that he had lightened his own skin.

Each night the television audience can scroll through their digital TV Guides to find an abundance of this type of programming. With the increase in reality shows, I have found that there has been an increase in girl-on-girl fights on television. A recent study “Real to Me: Girls and Reality TV” tackles the impact this kind of entertainment has on teenage girls.

A hunting camp previously leased by the family of Gov. Rick Perry was the center of controversy this past week when a report showed that a portion of the camp was known as “Niggerhead.” A rock with the offensive language was reportedly found on the camp grounds before Perry’s father decided to paint over it some years ago (the number of years is disputed).

It was almost a month ago when the clothing company JCPenney came under fire for this back-to-school t-shirt.

Photo courtesy of the Huffington Post website

The $9.99 shirt decorated with the colorful message, “I’m too pretty to do homework so my brother has to do it for me” set the Internet ablaze with blog posts and articles challenging the company on the message it was sending to young girls.

Don’t Turn Back

The name of this blog was inspired by the Langston Hughes' poem "Mother to Son." In the poem, the mother tells her son that life "ain't been no crystal stair." Although her journey was difficult, the mother continued to strive for the top. I believe that this poem, in many ways, symbolizes the journey of women and people of color. Historically these communities have encountered many barriers and challenges, but yet they have managed to unite within their communities and push forward.

This site will examine how the media targets and portrays women and people of color. I hope that through posts and discussions No Crystal Stair will be able to challenge readers to look at the actions of companies through a critical lens, and recognize that the messages being sent through media have the ability to impact the experiences of people all over the world. Thank you so much for visiting the site, and I can't wait to read your comments!